Live a Volunteering Experience in a Bilingual Environment in Calgary

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What is the Bilingual Volunteering Project ?

The purpose of this program is to involve bilingual volunteers in supporting a variety of programs, projects and events in the Calgary community. Volunteers will be able to choose from a wide range of interesting opportunities to use their French language, skills and experiences to make a difference in the community.

What are some tips to help me get started as a volunteer ?

If you are interested in a new volunteer position, but aren’t sure where to begin, try asking yourself the following questions to determine what kind of volunteer opportunities will be best suited to yo :

What kind of time commitment are you willing to make? Are you looking for a regular/weekly volunteer commitment or a short-term/one-time opportunity?

Would you like to volunteer with other people or by yourself?

Would you like to volunteer from your own home or would you prefer to volunteer at an organization?

Do you have specific skills or talents you would like to share with an organization?

Would you like to develop a specific skill?

What are your personal goals? Would you like to re-enter the workforce? Meet new people?

Adapted from an article by Volunteer Ottawa

What is skill-based volunteering ?

Volunteers can bring their own skills and experience to a volunteer role. Motivations for volunteering are diverse. While some aim to learn new skills and aptitudes through volunteering, others seek to apply their specialized skills in their volunteer role.

Today, more and more people wish to apply specific skills to their volunteer work. Doing so can help hone those skills. And it can be great experience to put on a résumé. At the same time, the organization benefits from expert input. Skills-based volunteering benefits the volunteer, the organization and the community.

For more information, visit the page dedicates to skill based volunteering on the Volunteer Canada website, here.

How do I get involved ?

How do I get involved ?

Organizations

Organizations that register to become members will be able to post French-speaking volunteer opportunities, receive volunteer applications and CV and promote their events and programs. Organisations will also be able to take part in training workshops and in activities of Volunteer Canada’s annual National Volunteer Week. Member organizations automatically become partners in the bilingual volunteering project.

Any person aged 14 or over can apply for available volunteer opportunities by completing an online application via a secure link. Youth aged 14 – 17 must complete a parental consent form and submit it during the registration. Volunteers create a personal profile that includes their interests and language level of proficiency which they can later use to match any volunteer opportunities.

What is the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement ?

The CCVI is a guide for involving volunteers in all levels of an organization, including volunteers working in leadership, direct service and virtual roles. It provides a framework for discussion and decision making within organizations and consists of three important elements:

The value of volunteer involvement.

Guiding principles that frame the relationship between the volunteer and organization.

Standards of practice for involving individuals in meaningful ways to ensure successful integration of volunteers while meeting the needs of both the organization and its volunteers.

Who is the CCVI for ?

The CCVI is designed to support those who oversee, manage and support volunteer involvement within an organization. It is also for volunteers to help them understand their rights and responsibilities within the organization. The guiding principles for volunteer involvement keep relationships balanced between organizations and their volunteers by ensuring they are reciprocal.

For more information on the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement, visite their website.

What should I do if I forgot my username and password ?

Please visit the “Volunteer opportunities” page, go to LOGIN and select the “forgot password”, we will send you an e-mail to reinitiate your password. You can also email us at info@bbbv-calgary.ca and we can reset your password and remind you of your username through email.

This bilingual volunteer portal has been produced and is managed by the French-Canadian Association of Alberta, Calgary Chapter (ACFA Calgary), a non-profit organization whose mandate is to promote the French language and ensure the development of the Francophone community.

Strategic partnership and community engagement is about the power of relationships. For the BBBV Calgary project, it is also about building trust between communities. We want to thank our major community partners for their precious assistance and support with the BBBV Calgary project: